Future PRO16 Conference Alignment

[The Seeker]

What do think the PRO16 conferences will look like next year? Lions, Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, Benetton, Zebre, Glasgow and Edinburgh in one conference. Blues, Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons, Connacht, Ulster, Leinster and Munster in the other.

Does that seem right to you? Your input is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[unrated]

We cant put all South African sides in one conference. It will make the competition lopsided and we already play enough derbies against each other in the Currie Cup. This became the problem with Super Rugby. The Australians wanted more derbies so we got more derbies too, then we beat each other up each weak and it became tedious, we don't need more derbies in the pro rugby apart from our local competitions.

Also I want the Sharks to be in a conference with Leinster it will make the battle for first more enjoyable.

 

[mdaclarke]

I guess they will split the South African teams and with each conference having one coastal and one high veld team

 

[Leinster Fan]

Do we need conferences?

Everybody play everyone else once, with two derby against other teams from your country (or Scotland/Italy).

One unified table, and then quarter finals.

Would much prefer that instead of making the season even longer than it already is.

 

[higgik]

4 conferences of 4.
SA conference, Wales Conference, Irish Conference and A Scot/Italian Conference.
6 conference games, 12 inter conference, for 18 game season.
Conference winners plus next best 4 records into quarter finals.

Gives each conference a finalist but allows 2 more from each if strength is better.

 

[mdaclarke]

4 conferences of 4.
SA conference, Wales Conference, Irish Conference and A Scot/Italian Conference.
6 conference games, 12 inter conference, for 18 game season.
Conference winners plus next best 4 records into quarter finals.

Gives each conference a finalist but allows 2 more from each if strength is better.

I like this as each team will play each other team at least once and the home/away derbies will remain

 

[The Seeker]

Thank you all for your input. Good stuff.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

There is a bit of a mismatch in how the SA teams and the existing ProX teams approach the tournament assuming SA does not have further connections with European tournaments.

Correct me if I am wrong but as I understand it Pro Rugby is the domestic championship for the countries involved and the 'Euro' Cup their premier tournament. For SA the Currie Cup would be our domestic tournament and Pro Rugby our premier tournament unless we also gain access to the European championships.

One can only speculate what the implications might be but I would expect we won't be sending under strength touring sides in Pro rugby where the others might do. This would also be why SA teams would rather move away from conferences and double header derbies and the other sides would be for them much as Aussie were always for derbies and conferences in Super Rugby and SA and NZ against them as the Aussies piggy backed Super Rugby for their top flight domestic championship.

In this case it would obviously be us who will have to adapt. Much as I would love a Currie Cup with Bok players in it I would be happy with it remaining somewhat of a development tournament and space for young and fringe players to do their thing IF our top sides also have access to an expanded European champioship. The question would remain whether the other unions would be open to it. Maybe if we were based in Europe for part of those matches.

Who knows though. Maybe that mismatch/disconnect is not a real issue and ends up leveling the paying field.

 

[unrated]

That's what I fear as well.
Firstly more derbies is not what we need right now or have needed in the past. Secondly if the pro sides treat it as a secondary competition against our big 4 then I can see huge inflated scores. They simply will need to have a shift in mindset to make this their premier comp if our involvement in Pro rugby will last. If they do then pro rugby could become the strongest rugby league in Europe and South Africa. If they still consider it secondary to the champions cup and we consider it as our premier comp then it will be negative for all parties as we would not be able to compete against high level opposition which will have an effect on our National team while the existing pro sides will be just filling numbers while being spanked each weekend. Because why rest your players during a Stormers game when they are going to play someone such as Toulon when arguably the Stormers would be a tougher team than Toulon. We are balls deep in this now. And it can be great I just hope the existing pro rugby teams can make the mindset shif too if it's true that they don't really treat the pro 14 with the premier status.

 

[unrated]

What if we don't get qualification to the European Champions cup but the top two performing SA sides in Pro 16 qualify for a 6 team Super rugby shootout with the four super rugby sides that made the semis in their respective competition.

In that sense our premier competition can still be a Super rugby shootout but it's got less games and is completely a strength vs strength . Maybe even an 8 team tournament will work well. Or a yearly Comp between the 5 SA teams and 5 NZ teams.

 

[munstermuffin]

It will work as always. 2 Conferences split 50/50 Paly every one in conference home and away. 14 games. Then 4 games for same nation but opposite conference. That will make 18 games.
Quarter Finals will come in to it then but expect this may be altered.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The good thing about the ProX conferences is that it mixes nationalities if I am not mistaken. That already is a step up from the Super Rugby conference system. It will have to suffice as a full round robin with home and away would just be way to many games.

My concern would still be that we will take the ProX more seriously than other top teams also competing in Europe. Maybe our top teams are on a level or below a semi-serious Leinster I just don't know in which case it will be enough of a challenge. I do suspect though that most of our teams will slot in just below Leinster and above the rest assuming (big assumption?) that we will be recruiting bigger than usual heading int o the competition.

 

[munstermuffin]

The good thing about the ProX conferences is that it mixes nationalities if I am not mistaken. That already is a step up from the Super Rugby conference system. It will have to suffice as a full round robin with home and away would just be way to many games.

My concern would still be that we will take the ProX more seriously than other top teams also competing in Europe. Maybe our top teams are on a level or below a semi-serious Leinster I just don't know in which case it will be enough of a challenge. I do suspect though that most of our teams will slot in just below Leinster and above the rest assuming (big assumption?) that we will be recruiting bigger than usual heading int o the competition.

Yo do know we all have to take the league serious as it has implications for Europe. Seedings are based on our league performance so if we finish poorly it effects our draw in Europe. Presuming we qualify.

 

[higgik]

I like this as each team will play each other team at least once and the home/away derbies will remain

Thank you.

Also reduces games by 4, maybe 6.

Less games means players less fatigued, for teams means internationals available more often

 

[mdaclarke]

Talk is that they will have a single conference each team playing each other once and the teams from their own country twice. I assume the Scots and Italians will be treated as one country.

 

[higgik]

Talk is that they will have a single conference each team playing each other once and the teams from their own country twice. I assume the Scots and Italians will be treated as one country.

Yes that is the suggestion with a 18 game season also.